The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-20

extract from that report:
Nv bile We admit that the State prison
has been run without expense TO the State,
we can but say That Il has been done at
the expense OF human liycs---lives OF help
less, nanacled beings. Those
having charge Of our convict labor, both
ON the farQ and public works, 80 far as
has come 70 our knowledge, have used the
most inhunan and uncommon modes Of
punishment, and totally unauthorized by
lAw-oiten pulling the prisoner until he
would faint. and, In instances where the
prisoner has been reported rs escaping, he
has been shot down and killed and in no
instance of sudden death have we been able
TO lind that coroner or jury Of inquest
has been callcd--by the lash on their
naked bucks, while the sufferer was by
Tour strong men, each holding hand or
foot stretched over the frozen ground or
over stumps and logs, and beaten often
with 800 stripes at time, which more
than once, II Ia thought, resulted in the
death OF the convict; men unable 10 work
have been driven 10 death
When working in the swamps or fields
they (the convicts) were refused water,
and were compelled 10 drink out
of the swamp or plow burrows in the
clear water was near at hand. Onos
instance of this was on tho New Orleans x
Northeastern railroad, where the owners
were unable 10 get the contractors to work
at a given point, known ~ Cancy Swamp,
uncoinmonly hard. and unhealthy. They
hired from sub-lcssecs the labor Of con.
yicls, nj ~ ~ per day, 10 do this work.
They were placed in this swamp, in water
Ringing above their knees, in almost "a
nude state, spading in caney and rooty
| pOund, with their bare feet chained to-
gether by chains that frctted into the
flesh, compelled to attend 10 the calls OF
nature in this line, m they stood chained
| day IN and day out, and their thirst driv-
| ing them 10 drink Of the water IN which
they were compelled to deposit their cxcre-
mcnt. mother instances cOnvicts
were sub-leascd in lots, and from ex-
posture and Ill treatment have been badly
crippled, audit In feared In many instances
permanently, by losing toes aud con
tracing foot malades aud chilblnins, ars-
| ing from frost bitA In fact, in ono In
stance, where worked by railroad, n
stout, healthy, hearty man was hung up
by the heels and whipped until lac died
under the punishment, aud hole dug,
and lac buried where he was killed; and
the man that committed that crime il still
At large"
Such was tho report OF the legislative
committee on penitcntiary and prisons
Tor 1881, depicting an inlintndc of human
agony, unproximntcd in the hell, either
Dantcan or scrplupl. Vet such WIS the
influence Of the lcssces that this report
WIS surrcpiiiiouay suppressed and did
not appear like the imports Of other COM
mittco- la the printed Journals oi the leg.
islaturc. nor was the lease cancelled. II
involved cructice, but IL was To pay the
State S'iH, i2Oa year; and the chief Of the
lcsscCs n very prince Of lobbyists. had in
lrigicd hinsrll into four.ycar's scat in
the state senate for the purpose Of defend
ing this franchise OF blood, which brought
him gross Income OF over SdD,-
90 annually, az will bo shown
| hy the notes Ut sub-lcs,.'cs given him Tor
convict hire, aud. boy him, deposited la
The State irusury ns security Tor certain
| indebtedness oil the State. Greed Tor gold
aud artistic lobbying prevailed The lcas-
| Ing system continued and 80 did lbs cruel
! iiua.
Seventeen convicis were sccn one DAY.
seen Keeling through thcstrccts OF Jackgon.
each with finger or toe frozen or They
were from the iarm Of the regularly ~.
| taincd attorney OF the chief OF the lc,socs,
| who N even now defending that chief from
the charge OF having gs.n-sinatDd a young
editor, who had exposed the crurlics col
ihcSyslem and ihccnrrupipn pi the leSsecs.
\ convict escaped VAS pgrloncd and
sued u sui. lCssne. Tho sat WIS tried he
iov the Kinds county ciuuii court nj the
January term, 1887, The testimony built
NJ the following chastity story
Tho prisoner, iu company with u band oi
| other CunNicts, WIS carried, Ia the winter
1T 1855, Ia work ON plantation. They
wcrn housed nv what IL called shack.
house, or sioCkalc. This unique building
is made hy driving Young upliugs, stripped
ol their branches. In thc ground, side 10y
side, and h rooted with similar poles. The
shack HOUSE generally cuclogcs space ol
ground seventy by thirty feet, and In u
up hvrltd from nu,vut, five 10 100 con.
Nicis ln the center iH one email stove
sometimes In thc winter thorr II lire VA a..
sometimes there isuot. ALWAYS the winter
wind clu sweep with cnfc through the unr
OF two inches Oi space between the poles.
. and with what ley agony Ia the thinly clad
. convict cun be- imagined. Around the pol,
! walls OF The huu,c mn arranged bunk.
, made II two unpanrd boards On then
. The prisoner sll,,ss.ccp. with but one puol
! blanket 10 cover them, even In snoWics
} weather Nothing Is hctwrrn them an,
. the ruugh buaris but their clothing. Suci
thing 90 ma'iru,, or pillow II Aimee
unknown o. thrgl kind aud humanrll
+ tr'ntcd' rDnyiris, and would De- a rrvki,s
, extravaganza that would shock the sub
{ lcsssc's thrifty soul.
q In q hous, like this. the convict VIII
d brought the damage suit, Evans Forbes
! | lived during the winter 81 1886. III
. clothing. too, was Insufficient. nnd durin
Il the cold weather biz rhors disappeared
y whether stolen by fellow prisoner a
runrd ~ not known. II ~ known, how
4 ever. tlut Il WIS long b'l0r' BE- vas suI
. plicl wilt another pair. Alter Wiuir
b night of afruy IN the shack housc, he uu
the olhrr cunNiris ven. wont a. hc drive
uut % work ut the iiu, Cny steak ~ duwi
uttcnumya each step ol hcir ifnkru m
bleeding feet SHINING the gound vii
crimson. One by one. Evans Forbes si
his ,umpiniuus vhp, hut the SUptumh,
Lsiufr. Wrrr strung. hearty men. with al
.c blp0d of hcall,, beating uolous IN pub
lc nnd hcnrt. give up lhr weary, cruel bItt
~ AGAINST culd and toll. anil IT, down Ia r..
IN and to die. until thc hurac.lo,, where the
h. INTENDED ruuIsH wvrr bufici, WAS iull {
r. convict irrNtr md bpura Ills lmud, to'
lc WIS iruurn. anal be- determined u wei
IN better % rtk sudden death Ia au u,ioml
o. osrapc, thun stay where death, uhoug
10. slow. wns sure.
lie escaped, AMI sought the Governor
the capital VI tllo stale. lie mWupp,
the dark uimrl doth hom hls iruu